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Panicked or Confused About Bed Bugs

Since 2005 we have been helping people eradicate their bed bug problems through an understanding of the science involved and applying our experience of dealing with tens of thousands of cases.

Although most peoples initial response to finding or suspecting bed bugs is one of shock and horror the reality is that its a problem that can affect anyone from the most luxurious hotel to any type of property either owned or rented. As a pest of exposure bed bugs can be found anywhere that people go.

Drawing upon our vast experience of helping people through this often emotional issue we would like to provide the following clear summary of how to deal with bed bugs.

As with other parts of this site a Red link will lead to real images to if you are phobic of insects please take care when clicking.

Take a deep breath and read from here

If you are finding that bed bugs trigger feelings of anxiety, please read our document Schrodinger’s Bed Bug first of all to help frame the issue in a more positive and constructive way.

Bed bugs are an exposure pest. You get them by coming into contact with a source and transferring them back to your home or work location. It is important with bedbugs to avoid the most common mistakes, which can make the matter worse. These are:

Throwing out or moving furniture

Using aerosol based insecticides which can disperse the colony

Using fogger based insecticides which will disperse the problem

Bed bugs are not a reflection of the hygiene of an individual or status of the property. Sadly it is a subject that is riddled with myths and most people lack a detailed understanding of the problem.

Competent professionals who understand bedbugs do not start off by telling you to either throw things away or bag them up, without first having the benefit of actually looking to confirm the issue. If you are told to bag and clear everything out of the room, please stop and think carefully as this could spread the problem very quickly to the rest of your home.

The reason for asking you to take a deep breath is that there is a lot to take in when you start to deal with bed bugs and just as if you are unfortunate enough to need an ambulance you will always find that medical professionals remain calm, cool and collected so they can help you best. We undergo similar training programs to ensure that as soon as possible we can help you by reducing the anxiety and dealing with the task at hand.

Confirm before you treat

The next step is to confirm that it’s definitely bed bugs and not some other issue. As part of our service this is the first stage and can only be done as follows:

Visual confirmation of a live bed bug – see galleries for example images

Visual confirmation of a cast skin from a bed bug – see galleries for example images

Confirmation of a faecal trace using the Bed Bug Blue™ confirmation kit – see shop for product information

Although some people still believe the myths surrounding bed bug bites, it is not possible to confirm what has caused a skin reaction based on its appearance or a biopsy. This can lead people to assume it’s bedbugs and thus avoid finding the actual cause of the issue until much later. If there are no confirming signs of bed bugs, it’s important to consider what else it could be.

During the assessment and confirmation we can also establish what is the most appropriate method of eradication to apply in your situation and circumstances. If you do not have us assessing your property, you may want to refer to our public information portal www.HowToTellIfYouHaveBedBugs.com for the most efficient alternatives.

We see far too many cases where people go for months and months repeatedly treating for invisible bedbugs that in all honesty do not exist. The damage that people can do to their health and the environment cannot be underestimated and is one of the key reasons why we work so extensively with the media to educate people about bedbugs and avoid this unnecessary hardship and suffering.

Treatment methods

Until the property has been assessed it is impossible to be certain what methods and techniques will be needed to eradicate the infestation and what order those steps need to be taken. Our methods focus on the immediate eradication of bed bugs and their eggs using a super-heated steam disinfector, a residual organic material and our Passive+ Monitoring technology. All three of these elements were either designed/devloped in conjunction with us or are our own technology.

We ask that you leave everything stationary and as it would normally be before treatment starts to ensure that the activity is not spread. The technicians will assist you in any preparation that is needed and carry all of the resources that may be needed to ensure it if efficiently achieved.

All treatments are fully documented and you are left with a customised workbook that takes you steps-by-step through the process and answers any questions that you might have. It is written in conjunction with the feedback of our clients and includes many hints and tips from others we have worked with. Our technical team in the office will also be available to answer any questions that you have on specific issues; such as how to best deal with bedbugs and small children in the same home. Very unusual or specific questions are directed to our resident bedbug expert, David Cain, who is often quoted in the media as a world leading authority.

By choosing us to look after you and your bed bug infestation you are safe in the knowledge that all we do as a company is work on bed bugs and as such have the most experienced technical team in the world when it comes to fighting for you. With the tens of thousands of cases, we have already successfully cleared, we have amassed a vast knowledge base that means it’s highly unlikely that we will not have encountered similar circumstances before and we are never going to come and see you having just run through a rat-infested hovel.

Post treatment quality assurance

Once treatment is complete and the infestation is eradicated we would recommend the use of our Passive Monitoring system or Passive+ (in the case of Green treatments). Should any bed bugs be introduced post treatment, they will locate into the harbourage monitor and leave the telltale signs on the detection skirt.

Where other companies might consider they are in the business of treating bed bugs and as such want some repeat business, we set higher standards for our service and want to ensure that you are equipped to make sure that a future introduction does not become a full-blown infestation.

If you’re outside of the M25 or international

If you are not local to us or have a light infestation, it may be possible to resolve the issue using our protocols for treating with Passive Monitors. However, once an infestation is either dispersed in a room or present in multiple rooms, the success rate of self-treatment diminishes greatly. Please take the time to read and understand the contents of the educational section as well as the appropriate advanced educational section along with all the information on Passive Monitoring before you attempt to use this method. The best results are always achieved by those who plan before taking action.

We will take on confirmed cases of bed bugs anywhere in Europe and have been to most UK major cities in the last few years when specialist help has been needed. We do not keep a list of local pest controllers and the only recommendations we can make are listed in our affiliations and organisations section. We are always happy to confirm the details of a listed or unlisted member, please contact us.

In 2005 we set out to be a world leading resource on the subject of bed bugs. As we continue to advance and develop techniques for the detection and eradication of bed bugs, that still remains one of our core focuses as a company which is why we invest so much time in clear and concise communication of the facts of bed bugs.

Booking an appointment

Bookings can only be made via our office Monday – Friday 9 am – 5 pm via the number at the top of this page or via the contact us section. Out of hours contact for technical inquiries or advice is available Monday – Friday 5 pm till 9 pm and Saturday – Sunday 10 am till 6 pm on the contact us page (listed below the map).

Inquiries or requests for help outside of the M25 or UK are requested to make contact via email in the initial instance as we will need to direct you towards how to confirm bed bugs before we agree to take on the case.

About Us

Our services offer the most integrated solution to your bedbug issues available anywhere in the world, calling upon our experiences gained through dealing with infestations longer than any other specialist company.